Incendiary projectile.



0.1.1. vAuIlN. INCENDIARY PROIECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I0, |919.

Patented Sept. 16; 1919.

yUNITED j sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

CLAUDE THEODOEE JAMES VAUTIN, or LONDON, ENcLietNn, AssIGNoE 'roTHEEMALLOY v LIMITED, or LoNDoN, ENGLAND.

INcENDrAnY PROJECTME..

Specication of Letters Patent. i Patented 16, 1919.

Application led April 10, 1919. Serial No. 289.176.

To all whom tmay concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE THEODORE yJAMES VAUTIN, asubject of theKingeof Vterial of such projectiles within an outer casing .or shell,usually of steel but sometimes of softer material as in a cartridgecase, and to provide the projectile with both an igniting and a burstingcharge, the former of which served to ignite the incendiary material,and the latter of which served t0 `burst the said shell and scatter thesaid ma terial. Sometimes a double-purpose charge that both lgnites theincendiary material and bursts the shell or other containing case hasbeen employed. One result of such constructions was that the incendiarymaterial was necessarily scattered with considerable force, owing to theforce required to burst the containing vessel or shell, and theincendiary material was consequently subdivided by the burst more finelythan was altogether desirable.

I have found that the incendiary material is better distributed after ithas been ignited if it be not contained in a container or casing whichis thus to be opened by a disruptive force.

For the purpose of obtaining this improved-distribution of the ignitedincendiary material, the present invention provides a projectile whosebody, or an outer shell thereof, 1s formed wholly or in part of an`ignitible substance that is hard-when cold,

butbecomes soft and fluid 'when ignited, for example a metallic mixturehardened by mechanical pressure. Such an ignitible sub-` stance may be ametallic mixture which comprises a combustiblebinding material or isrendered hard by incorporation with such a binding material. The saidignitible substance preferably comprises as the binding material eithersulfur or sulfur together with a metallic suliid decomposable by the-metal of the mixture;

The projectile` provided byths invention illustrated by way of examplein theaccompanymg drawing,wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalelevation showing a projectile accordingto the invention adapted for usein a Stokes gun, and

Fig. 2 is -a like view of a hand-grenade according to the'invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of a modified form of thepresent invention.

Referring' first to`Fig. l, the projectile comprises a head A and a baseB of steel, the former being a disk having a central aperture A1, andthe latter being in the form of a disk with a central tail-piece or stemB1 which is hollow.' y The aperture in the head is screw threaded toreceive the ordinary fuse C for igniting the mixture, and the tailpieceB1 ofthe base is arranged to receive the usual propellant charge .and isperforated as shown at B2, so that the gases liberated by the chargewhen fired, can escape into the chamber of the gun. The outsidediameters of the base and head are such as to fit the bore of the gun.

Two or more steel rods D are prepared which may have shoulders I)1 ateach. end, and are of such a length between the shoulders that, when therods are inserted between the said head and basewith their ends passinginto holes prepared to receive them in the head and base, respectively,the latter will be spaced apart the distance requisite to give theprojectile its desired length. The ends of the rods D are screw threadedand pass, as above stated, through holes in the head and base andreceive nuts D2 on their projecting ends so as t0 hold the head and`base firmly together at a predetermined dis- 'tance apart.Alternatively, the rods may be `secured in the basel otherwise than byshoulends obtained.V Thismaterlalisthencastonto the frame the'base B andhead A united by the twoor moresteelrodsfD in such a way'that acylindrical block E of thematerial, coredoutatEltopmvidea chamber for adetonatol', 5115 the space betweenthe head andbase and constitutes thebody of the projectile. It will beappreciatedthatthematerialisthusstamund thesaid two rodssothatthe rultcon-v stitutesasubstantiallysolidunit.

Inuse,thefuseCisinsertedin thehead zsandfhepropellng inthestexuB.1

otherwise, the whole body E ofthe projectile and forms a liquid slag ofgreat fluidity together with'molten iron, and thisslagandironisscaeredbytheshockof or gravity and in amore desirablemannerthanifitwerescatteredby anex- 4 plosive charge. As' an example ofan alternative to the above Sulfunous mixture a, metallic sulfid such ascan he decomposed by the metal constituent of the thermalloy or otheralumino thermic mixture may be employed, this sulliid being ground to afine powder andmixed with finely divided sulfur equivalent to from15%-50% by weight of the sulfid. In.this case the metallic sullid, suchas iron pyrites, after having been finely with say from 15%.-50% of itsweight of sulfur, and this mixture is heated with constant untilthe massbecomes fluid. It isthen cast and allowed to cool and set hard. Thishard roduct is finely ground and added in the dl alumino-thermic Y andthe heatedas above the of sulfur and aluminium with thermalloy.. Theproportion of aluminium or other vreducing metal or allo r is, however,so that the said met will suilice to ombine both with the sulfur` of themetallic sulid and with the free sulfur added thereto.

'A modified form ofprojectile to the invention comprises a central r'forated lron'tuhe T screwed at oneend into.

the aperture iliffthe head plate and secured at the other end to thebase plate having a {lash-hole 0 in the center thereof -communi- .eatingwith the interior of the tube. The

'tube olfthebasewiththelrvluultthatwllenitisVredandthefuseis'alsoiimbyimpadzor und is eslred proportion to the l'former end of-lthe tube may be closeddbyh: screwpl or yanordlnaryfuse,antube itself is wholly or {11n-many lled with the tible mixture w 'chsurrounds the tween the two plates.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the bod Ez of thehandgrenadehavingtheformoanoblate spheroid is composed of the same maferial as the body of theprojectile described above with/reference to Fig. 1, and is cast about acore to providean axially disposed detonator-chamber E which is closedat one end and is screw-threaded'at the other,as shownatE,toreceivethefuse.

in the construction described abovewithrcferencetoFig.1,theprojcclemaybesaidtobedevoidofametal -casmg .or shell, it istobe-undelstoodthatfitmay bepartlyinclosedinsuchavcasmg' .Thus,.forexample,theheadAandthehmeBmay each be provided with a cylindricaldirtedtowardtheopposite end oftheprojectilebutonlyofsuchaxiall aswillleaveinthecenter oftheprojechleabandofthebody-portionexposedtotbeairandw not emzircled by' a metalliccasing. Furthermore, it'is within the scope of thisinvention toconsta-uct a projectile substantiallyasahollowbodyw osewallorcasmgisfonnedwhollyorinpartofonekindo 'ahardignitiblemetalhcmlxturesuchasisexemplified above, and to lill the said casing with another kind ofincendiary metallothermic material, such for example as one notcontaining free sulfur Or such a'hollow casing ma be left ed. Inaddition, instead of eating the above-mentioned mixed ingredients toform a lastic mam which is then cast into the esired shape, the mixed'ents may be molded ieder plllessure tof l1e desire:l forn without a`cation o eat, wi out e artln' g from Ithe sco of the invention'. P WhatI claim as my invention and desire to secure .by Letters Patent is:- 1.An incendiary nojectile comprising an outer shell com in part of anignitible v metallothermic material that is hard when cold but becomessoft or fluid when 2. An incendiary projectile comprising-an' Y outershell composed wholly of an ignitible metallothermic material that ishard and deng'when cold but becomes soft or fluid mechanical pressure 4.'Aninceniary projectile compris' an outer shell wholly of an ignuitgiblemetallothermic mixture of powders.. compressed intoa hard solidcondition.

5. An incendiary `rojectile comprising an outer 'shell comp in part ofan ignitible mctallothermic .mixture which contains as v1wlmetallothermic material one ingredient 'a combustible lbinder and outershell composed whollyof an ignitiblemetallothermic material whichconsists of a metallic powder, an oxygen compound of a metal and asulfur-ous binder, and which is hard when cold but becomes soft orfluid` When ignited. j

8. An incendiary projectile comprising an outer shell composed in partof an ignitible metallothermic material which contains a metallic powderland as a binder sulfur mixed with av sulid decomposable by the metal,and which is hard when lcold but becomes plastic or liquid when ignited.

9. An incendiary projectile comprising an outer shell composed wholly ofan ignitible which contains powdered aluminium and as a binder sulfurmixed with a sulid decomposable by aluminium, and which is hard whencold but becomes soft or fluid when ignited. 4

10. An incendiary projectile comprising a self sustaining body which isexposed to the atmosphere and is composed of an ignitiblemetallotllermic material that is hard when cold but becomes soft orliquid when ignited.

11. An incendiary projectile 'comprising a body which is exposed to theatmosphere and is composed of an ignitible metallothermic mixture ofpowders that contains a sulfurous substance as a binder', and is hardwhen cold but becomes soft or fluid when lgnlted.

12. An'incendiary projectile comprising a body which is exposed to theatmosphere and is composed'of an ignitible metallothcrmic 4materialvthat contains an oxygen compound of a metal and sufur as a binder andis hard and .dense when coldy but becomes plastic or liquid whenignited.

13. An incendiary projectile comprising in combinationfa frame, and ahard solid mass of metallothern'iic material constituting the body ofthe projectile carried thereby with its outer surface exposed to theatmosphere.

1l. An incendiary projectile comprising in combination two metal platesand a distancemember holding the same together to constitute al frame,and a hard solid mass of metallothermic material constituting the bodyof the projectile carried thereby with its outer surface exposed to theatmosphere.

In testimony whereof I aix'my signature.

CLAUDE THEODORE JAMES VAUTIN.

